Tuning in to more hotels in Sarawak

TUNE Hotels plans to have at least four more hotels in Sarawak under its operation with the Sibu and Miri hotel branches targeted to be operational by this year. Tune Hotels East Malaysia regional manager Shanmugamnathan Suppiah said the group was also looking at the possibility of expanding its operations to Mukah and Tanjung Manis due to the growing economic presence there. “Our plan for Sibu and Miri is progressing well and we have received several proposals from interested parties,” he said after briefing travel agents here. The group now has two hotel branches in the state - Kuching which started its operation in 2009 and Bintulu on Jan 3.

Stay with us: Shanmugamnathan (second from left) and Kuching hotel manager Donna Ong (left) posing for a photograph in front of the hotel’s reception counter with the staff.

There are 135 and 101 rooms at its Kuching and Bintulu hotel branches respectively. Meanwhile, head of government business and relations Shamsul Salim said the group had also set its eyes on overseas expansion following its successful ventures in setting up two hotel branches in Bali and one in Westminster, London. “We are looking at expanding to New Zealand, Australia and probably Paris. But Singapore is not on our radar of expansion due to the high cost involved,” he said.

Shamsul said the group would set up its next hotel branch in Kota Baru on Jan 23 which comes with 172 rooms. Shanmugamnathan revealed that its Kuching hotel branch had so far hit 85% occupancy rate on a consistent basis. “The occupancy rate is up to our expectation and we are targeting for more. Expansion is definitely in our plans for Kuching if we keep maintain ing a high occupancy rate” he said.

Co-founded by AirAsia’s Datuk Tony Fernandes, Tune Hotels is a limited service hotel brand that provides “5-Star Beds at 1 Star Prices” with high-quality accommodation basics of comfortable beds, power showers and clean, central and secure locations. The costs are kept low by employing a limited service concept eliminating traditional full service facilities like meeting rooms, swimming pools, business centres and gyms. It comes with a self service demand-based online booking system with best prices for advance bookings. Guests staying at Tune Hotels also have the capability to “design your stay” via pay-as-you-use add-ons such as toiletries, air-conditioning and WiFi.

-thestar online.

www.tunehotels.com